A warm welcome to the website of 32nd International Biometric Conference - IBC2024, to be held from December 8 –13, 2024, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis hotel in Atlanta, U.S.A. This website will be the main source of information about IBC2024, including the scientific and social programs, registration fees and deadlines, travel and lodging information, and important updates on all of these. I encourage you to visit it regularly for updates on the conference.
As most of you must be aware, IBC2024 was originally planned to be hosted by the Argentinean Region in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Unanticipated issues in Argentina, completely beyond the control of the Argentinean Region, have forced the location of the conference to be moved to the vibrant city of Atlanta, in the southern state of Georgia, in the U.S.A. We are very thankful to the co-chairs of the original Local Organizing Committee (LOC), Maria Gabriela Cendoya and Silvia Sühring, for their unwavering support during all stages of the planning for IBC2024, including the disappointing and difficult decision to move it to Atlanta. They remain actively involved in the organization of the conference, being joined in the LOC by Lance Waller (ENAR), who has graciously agreed to become an LOC co-chair and help putting together the social program (including the welcome reception, excursions, and the conference dinner), as well as assisting with local arrangements in Atlanta.
The International Program Committee (IPC), chaired by Dimitris Rizopoulos (Netherlands Region), is busy putting together the scientific program for the meeting, having already finalized the invited program and being now focused on the contributed sessions. As in previous IBCs, the program will feature several special sessions, such as the Biometrics and JABES Showcase sessions, the Young Statisticians Showcase session, and the Presidential Keynote Address. New to this year’s program will be two special invited sessions organized by a team of young statisticians from different IBS regions around the world, who came together for the purpose of putting together these sessions – stay tuned and visit this website for more details. The Education Committee (EC) has finalized the short course program, to be presented on Sunday, Dec 08. The EC is currently chaired by Rafael Moral (British-Irish Region) but was chaired by Annette Kopp-Schneider (German Region) during most of the short course program review process.
The behind-the-scenes logistics that ensure all aspects of the meeting organization run smoothly and lead to another highly successful conference is the responsibility of the International Biometric Office (IBO). This includes the entire abstract submission process, as well as the creation and management of this website. Our sincere thanks to Peter Doherty, Alexander Iula and the rest of the IBO staff for their dedication and competent professional support to IBC2024.
I close with an invitation to all biometricians, and other quantitative scientists with an interest in Biometry, to come to Atlanta and join us in what promises to be another exciting IBC meeting – all of us involved in the organization of the conference welcome ideas and suggestions on how to make IBC2024 a great success. I have had the privilege of visiting Atlanta on several opportunities, both for professional conferences and for leisure travelling, and am sure that all who come to IBC2024 will find it a welcoming destination, full of diversity and rich in history.
I look forward to seeing you all in Atlanta later this year.
José Pinheiro
Organizing President IBC2024